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Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly is a national network of non-profit volunteer-based organizations devoted to relieving isolation and loneliness among the elderly. We offer to people of good will the opportunity to join the elderly in friendship and celebration of life.
As people live longer, they lose the supports that bolstered them when they were younger. Friends move away, family members die, familiar neighborhoods change. When this happens Little Brothers steps in to take the place of family and friends, providing friendship and emotional support. In this time when human needs are either not being met or are ”fixed“ with institutional remedies, Little Brothers offers a personal, caring, non-bureaucratic approach which honors the dignity and independence of each individual. All help is offered as to friends, not clients, thus the designation ”old friends“ for the elderly we serve.
”Because above all, people need love“ was the reason that Little Brothers’ founder, French nobleman, Armand Marquiset entered the lives of lonely and isolated elderly in France in 1946. After witnessing the suffering and hardships of the elderly after World War II, Marquiset began visiting and delivering hot meals with flowers to elderly poor people in Paris. He believed that "the greatest poverty is the poverty of love.“
From the beginning, Marquiset intended this mission for all people in all places. To "spread" the Little Brothers "around the world" was an essential part of his testimony ... and so we have: What began as the work of one man is today carried on by thousands of Little Brothers in eight countries.
In continuing Marquiset's mission of friendship, "flowers before bread", Little Brothers strongly believes that people need the special pleasures in life in addition to the basic necessities. This belief is reflected in all of our activities such as the elegant holiday dinners which include flowers and entertainment. Our goal is to meet basic human needs in the spirit of joy and love. Little Brothers also takes the time to acknowledge and honor the unique individuality of each of our old friends.
We began in the United States in Chicago (1959), and have since expanded to Minneapolis/St.Paul (1972), Boston (1979), Houghton County, Michigan (1982), Philadelphia (1990), San Francisco (1990), Cincinnati (1997), Miami (2000), and most recently Omaha, Nebraska (2003).
Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly
642 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130
phone: (215) 765-8118
fax: (215) 765-8116
e-mail: philadelphia
